1. Field of the Invention
The present application generally relates to the protection of computer operation against computer viruses and, more particularly, to a system and method for trapping, profiling and analyzing malicious electronic mails for antivirus protection of computer operation.
2. Description of the Related Art
Electronic mail services implemented on computers, either desktop or mobile (laptop, handheld, personal digital assistants (PDAs), etc.), are basic communication services provided to end users of those computers. These electronic mail services implemented on computing and communication devices are vulnerable to malicious code or virus attacks.
Computer virus attacks to computing devices of electronic mail service providers are often aimed at targets other than the e-mail system itself. In addition to crippled e-mail services, often the entire functionality of an affected computing device is brought down. In many cases, these attacks are launched by malicious codes that are transported and spread in the form of computer viruses embedded in electronic mails.
Conventional electronic mail protection systems, specifically antivirus software protecting computer e-mail services, are frequently offered to users as a part of an overall antivirus software system to be installed on computers. These conventional antivirus software programs employ a basic technology that relies on the identification of viruses. Most antivirus software currently available in the art, including those specifically designed for e-mail system protection, are effective against known viruses but not so against unknown viruses. New viruses are analyzed by an antivirus service provider prior to developing a blocking countermeasure. For unknown viruses, typical antivirus software in the art unfortunately provides little or no protection for a computer receiving e-mails in a network.
There is therefore a general need in the art for an antivirus system and method overcoming at least the aforementioned shortcomings in the art.
In particular, there is a need in the art for a system and method for trapping suspected malicious e-mails that provide early warning of the arrival of suspected but unknown e-mails. Moreover, there is a need in the art for a system and method for profiling suspected malicious e-mails that accordingly adjust antivirus countermeasures for appropriate antivirus protection. There is a further need in the art for a system and method for analyzing malicious e-mails that advantageously provide virus identification, antivirus blocking and cure measures in a network.